…NMA-NAFDAC Committee Says Five Permanently Blind, Two Partially Blind; 15 Suspects Arrested
The NMA-NAFDAC Liaison Committee has confirmed that high concentrations of methanol in a local concoction known as ‘Monkey Tail’ are responsible for the recent mass deaths in Ondo State.
CDA News Nigeria reports that the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Azim Adekunle Ashimi, disclosed this in an update on Tuesday, citing laboratory findings by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
CDA News Nigeria gathered that samples collected from Odigbo, Irele, and surrounding LGAs contained high concentrations of methanol and Cannabis indica. Out of 182 affected persons, 48 have died, five were rendered permanently blind, and two others suffered partial visual loss.
Ashimi explained that methanol is an industrial solvent not intended for human consumption. When ingested, the liver metabolises it into formic acid, which attacks the optic nerve and retinal cells, leading to irreversible blindness, severe metabolic acidosis, multi-organ failure, and death.
The committee said victims presented with severe headache, abdominal pain, generalised weakness, altered consciousness, breathing difficulty, and blurred or “snowfield” vision after taking the drink.
The NMA-NAFDAC committee acknowledged the arrest of 15 suspects but demanded a full crackdown on informal distilleries, illegal herbal mixture blenders, and open-market distribution networks. It also called for nationwide sensitisation against the consumption of unlabelled, unregistered alcoholic beverages and stricter control over the supply chain of methanol to prevent its diversion into beverage production.
The Ondo State Government had earlier confirmed the deaths, with the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, stating that 182 cases were reported at medical facilities across Odigbo and Irele Local Government Areas.
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